Press head for stuffing machines



Jan. 22, 1929.

O. C. SCHMIDT PRESS HEAD FOR STUFFING MACI'HIIESl Filed4 Sept. 6, 1927 Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR C. SCHMIDT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO,'ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE CINCINNATI BUTCI-IERS SUPPLY COMPANY, OIF CINCINNATI, OHIO, .A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

PRESS HEAD FOR STUFFING MACHINES.

Application filed September The press-head to which my invention relates 'is particularly applicable for employment in so-called stuffing machines for stuffing sausage casings and for other purposes in the meat industry. In mechanism of this character a cylinder is employed in which the press-head is caused to reciprocate by fluid pressure applied to the lower end of the presshead and by release of said pressure. The pressure is applied to the lower end of said press-head for communicating pressure to the plastic material in the cylinder above the press-head to cause the plastic material to be exuded or pressed through suitable noz- Zles into sausage casings or containers. The compressed fluid employed is usually compressed air or water.

It is ilnportant in devices of this character that none of the compressed fluid shall pass the press-head into the plastic material, and that none of the juices from the plastic matcrial shall pass the press-head.

I have provided a press-head of novel construction by means oif which these desirable objects are obtained, and a press-head which is of' simple construction, which permits ready adjustment to accommodate for pressures employed and 'for wear and deterioration of materials, and which is comparatively light while capable of successfully resisting great strains in operation.

The invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. l. is an axial vertical section ol my improved press-head inconnection with so much of a stufling machine as is necessary to disclose its structru'e and functions.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section of my improved device, taken in the plane of thel irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a detail, partly broken away, showing the adjusting means between the sections of the press-head; and,

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the upper sectionof the press-head, partly broken away.

The cylinder of' the stuffing machine is exemplified at l1. A press-head l2 is arranged to reciprocate in `said cylinder in suitable manner, as by means of pressure applied by compressed fluid in the pressure end 13 of the cylinder, and by release of said pressure. The flow of compressed fluid into and out of the cylinder is controlled by suitable usual means. The pressure acts upon the plastic 6, 1927. Serial No. 217,754.

material at the other end or above the presshead, the material being instanced as chopped and prepared sausage meat, or as it is called, meat dough, exemplified at 14. The upward movement of the piston by means of the compressed air or water or other fluid forces the plastic material throughthe usualvnozzle or nozzles of thc stuffing machine.

The press-head as exemplified comprises a lower cylindrical sect-ion l5 and an upper cylindrical section 16. A flexible annular packing tube 17 is located between said sections at the annular outer margins of said sections. This annular packing' tube is preferably resilient andcomposed of solid soft rubber.

The opposed annular edges of the annular marginsA ot said sections and the respective ends of the annular packing tube are provided with complemental connections to form a tight joint between them, and to hold the annular packing tube in place. Thus the lower section l5 is provided with an annular marginal rabbet 2l, the lower wall of which has an annular groove 22 therein for forming an outer annular tongue 23. The lower end of the flexible packing tube is provided with an outer annular rabbet 24 forming an inner annular tongue 25 received in the annular groove 22, the tongue 23 being received in the groove or rabbet Ql.

The lower outer margin of the upper section 16 is provided with an annular rabbet 26, in the upper wall of which there is an upwardly extending annular groove 27, forming an outer annular peripheral tongue 28. The upper end of the annular flexible packing tube is provided with an outer marginal rabibet 29 to form an inner upwardly extending annular tongue 30 received in the annular groove 27, the annular tongue 2S being received in the annular groove or rabbet Q9 at the upper end of the packing tube. Tongue and groove connections are thus provided between the respective ends of the flexible packing tube and the respective oppositely presented annular margins of the respective sections of the press-head.

The lower section is provided with a further annular rabbet 34, which is of less diam` eter than the annular rabbet 2l, and is located above the latter. This annular rabbet of less diameter is within the flexible packing tube. It forms an annular wall 35, extending upwardly from the transverse Wall 36.

Bracing webs 37 are located between said walls.

`The lower end of the lower section is pretcrably provided with a cavity 39, forming an annular apron l() tor said lower section. An inner annular wall il extends upwardly from the transverse wall 36, spaced from the an nular wall by an annular space 42, in which webs 43 are located connecting with said Aaninilar walls and with the upper por tion lll of the transverse wall oi the lower section. A `passage l5 vextends through the annular wall 35, connectingl said 'space l2 and said innerannular rabbet 34 oi" less diam` cter. One or more of tl ese passages may be provided, tour ot the saine being shown.

The sections'liavc slide connectionsbetween them to maintain the same in concentric and in airial relations with each other. Thus the annular wall eil terms a cylinder in which "a projection 5l depending from the upper section is received, vthis projection rbeing in the `torno ofa piston lor plunger having slide connection in said wall Zl-l.

y Means `are provided 'for delinitely adjust- 4ably positioning these sections with rela-tion to each other. Thus a spacing-bolt 53 is threaded at 54 inthe projection 5l ot the upper section, the lower end o'tthe projection being the lower wall ot a recess 55 1n the upper endet said upper section. Thisspacingbolt is provided with a bore 56. The lower end ot the spacing bolt fcoacts with the upper `face of the transverse wall ot the lower section for adjustably distancing the sections with relation to each other. A I

A clampingbolt 57 is received through the bore. ot the spacingbolt and vis shown as a stud the lower partofwliich is threaded at 5B 'for receiving anutl 59, the boltbeing tired to the transverse w'all`36 between a shoulder (llou said bolt and said nut. rlhe bolt has a nut til received over its upper threaded end, the nut 'enacting with the outer end oit the sparing-bolt tor clau'iping the sections together at such distance apart as is determined by theyadj'ustinent ot the spacing-bolt. vA washer 62 is interposed between the nut 6l and the spacing bolt.` "lille washer has an inner lug received'in a slot 63 in theboltto'preventturning'ot the washer. lhe washer is preferably fiat washer to preventtilting strainbetween the bolts. The axes ot the spacing-bolt and the clamping-bolt are preferably coincident with they axis ot the presshead. y

i Therrecess 55has an 'enlargement 6,5, in lwhich there'is afwashei` 66, between which 4andthe bottom ot said enlargement th'ereis` conipressible washer?,thewashers being arrangedto bep'r'essed by means of a plug 68 "threaded into said enlargement, for closing the .recess to leakage 'from the interior ot the 'press-head.

The upper section comprises an upper wall 7l from the. marginal edges ot which an annular wall 72 depends. `An intermediate an .nular wall 73 depends from said upper wall between said marginal wall "TZ and the depending projection 5l. Vebs 74 connect with said upper wall and said marginal wall and intern'iediate wall: 'Webs 75 connect with said upper Wall and with said intermediate wall and said depending projection.

in annular compressiblc packing 78 is located between the sections to the inside ot the annular rabbet AThis annular compressiblc packing is preferably a resilient rubber ring, round in cross-section, located between said a nular rabbet and the spacingbolt, 'tor preventing access oi. pres ure to the spacinglbolt. rThis annular packing is pretcrably located in annular grooves 7S, 3U, respectively inthe opposed ends ot the opposed walls 35, 73, ot the respective sections.

The adjustments ot the spacing-bolt and clan'ijiing-bolt "adjust the pressure exerted upon the annular packing 73 and also adjust the pressure in axial direction exerted iupon the annular packing tube 1'?. Theseadjustments permit pressures to be applied to the annular packing and to the annular packing tube accordino to the tluid vJressure used n l a and to compensate tor wear and change in and deterioration ot materials.

During operation ot the situtling machine, when fluid pressure is applied under the press-head to raise the press-hea il, compressed tiuid also passes throughthe passages i5 into the ani'iularspace within the annular packing tube 17, ltor pressing said annular packing tube throughout Vits circumference radially outward and causing `it to 4tightly hug the Wall vol" the cylinder `for iforming a close slip lit with "Said wall and preventing 'passage 'of compressed 1tluid past the pressll'ead into the body ot material thereabove, this pressure alse'causing'the tongues ot the packing tube to be pressed against the tongues on the sections lor insuring closing `ot the joint between said se tions.

The anuularpackingring 'TS'is preferably distanced radially trein the adjusting bolts, so as to avoid distribution ot said compressed tluid throughout a lafige'portion oit the space between the sections `o't the press-head, in order that ready release-ot said pressure within"theaniiular packing tub-e l? may "be had upon relief of vpressure under the press- Y head, tor quick inward iiiove'nient or st' iightening ot said annular pacl'ring tube to enable the piessiliead to readily -dcscenrl `gravity in thecylin'der.

The adjustable lmeans tor adjusting vthe space between the 'sections "otE thefpress-head 'enablessuch adj ustinientsyto beobtain'ed with- "outl taking'said sections apart, incre removal of the plug 68 and washers 66 fand67 permitting access' tothe head otthe spacing-bolt 53 and to the nut 6l by means of suitable iso socket wrenches for ready adjustment of the same, the resilient annular packing ring 78 automatically maintaining a barrier or close joint between said sections surrounding the adjusting means throughout the adjustments of said adjusting means.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A press-head comprising an upper section and a lower section in -axial alinement with each other, a lexible annular packing tube between the opposed outer marginal edges of said sections, said opposed outer marginal edges ofsaid sections and the respective ends ot' said packing tube provided with complemental connections, an adjustable hollow spacing-bolt between said sections and an adjustable clamping-bolt in the hollow of said spacing-bolt for adjustably clamping said sections together, the axes of said bolts being substantially coincident with the axis of said press-head.

2. A press-head comprising an upper section and a lower section in axial alinement with each other, a flexible annular packing tube between the opposed outer marginal edges of said sections, said opposed outer marginal edges of said sections and the respective ends of said packing tube provided with complemental connections, an adjustable hollow spacing-bolt between said sections and an adjustable clamping-bolt in the hollow of said spacing-bolt for adjusting the axial distance between said sections, the axes ot' said bolts being substantially coincident with the axis oit' said press-head, an annular space between said sections within saidrcylindrical packing tube, said press-head arranged to be raised by compressed fluid thereunder, said lower section provided with a passage communicating with said compressed fluid and with said annular space for expanding said llexible annular packing tube during application ot' such pressure to said press-head, and a compressible annular packing between said sections located between said annular space and said spacing-bolt and automatically yielding to the adjustments ot said bolts for being continuously clamped between said sections throughout said adjustments.

8. A press-head comprising an upper section and a lower section infaxial alinement with each other, said lower section provided with an upwardly extending cavity, an annular packing tube between said sections at the outer margins of said sections, said outer margins and the respective ends of'said annular packing tube provided with complemental connections, an adjustable spacingbolt provided with an axial bore between said sections and a clamping-bolt in said bore whereby to adjustably lix the distance between said sections and clamp said sections together in adjusted relations, said lower section provided with an annular peripheral rabbet inside said annular packing tube, said lower section provided with a passage communicating with said cavity at one of its ends and with said annular rabbet at its other end for transference of pressure from said cavity into said annular rabbet and the exertion of outward pressure upon said flexible packing tube, and an annular compressible packing between said sections and between said annular rabbet and said spacing-bolt arranged to be adjustably compressed between said sections by the adjustments of said spacing-bolt and said clamping-bolt for automatically maintaining a close joint between said sections surrounding said bolts throughout said adjustments.

et. A press-head comprising an upper section and a lower section in axial alinement with each other, each of said sections provided with an annular rabbet and an annular groove at thel inner portion of said rabbet Jforming an annular tongue outside said annular groove, said annular rabbets, annular grooves and annular tongues on said respective sections presented toward each other, one of said sections further provided with an annular rabbet of less diameter than the diameters ot said first-named annular rabbets, an annular flexible packing tube between said sections whose respective ends are formed complemental to and coact with said respective first-named annular rabbets, annular grooves and annular tongues, said lower section arranged for having compressed fluid applied thereagainst for raising said presshead, said lower section provided with a passage communicating with said compressed luid and with said annularl rabbet of less diameter for exerting outward pressure upon said annular flexible packing tube, a central spacing-bolt having a bore and a central clamping-bolt between said sections to adjustably x the distance between said sections, said clamping-bolt located in said bore of said spacing-bolt, and an annular compressible packing between said sections and between said spacing-bolt and said annular rabbet of less diameter arranged to yield and accommodate itself to the varying distances between said sections due to the adjustments v of said spacing-bolt and said clamping-bolt. In testimony whereot, I have hereunto signed my name.

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